The Milgum project, a new strategic turning point in Turkish-Pakistani relations

Turkey recently started the national ship project Milghem, which combines a 600-year-old maritime tradition from the Ottoman Empire to the present day with its experience in the defense industry.

Throughout its history, Turkey has worked to strengthen its naval forces given its geographical location, as it is surrounded by seas on three sides. As the heir to the empire that ruled the seas, she always tried to meet the needs of military ships for the naval units in the best way.

Turkey recently launched the national ship project Milghem , which combines a 600-year-old maritime tradition from the Ottoman Empire to the present day, with its experience in the defense industries.

The Milgum project revived the defense industry in the maritime sector with completely local designs, with the contribution of many large and small national companies that implemented these designs in a short time. Turkey's sharing of these projects that achieved local and global success with allied countries led to its prominence in international arenas.

This project, which was launched by the Ministry of National Defense by establishing a company in 2018, has been institutionalized with the aim of accelerating its implementation process in accordance with the principles appropriate to the vision and tasks of the Ministry. The activity of this company, which has become famous in the defense industries sector at the local and international levels , began under the name “Asfat Turkish Joint Stock Military Factories and Arsenals Operating Company” ( ASFAT ).

The largest export project in the Turkish maritime industry

Turkey has always attached great importance to the development and strengthening of its allied countries throughout history, and has followed a policy of participation in defense industry projects that has crossed local borders. One clear example of this policy is the recent rise in exports of Turkish-Pakistani defense industries, and the latter continues to be an influential ally of Turkey, concluding An agreement in partnership with the Seven Melgham Project.

The project was launched in 2004 by producing entirely local and national ships, with the aim of strengthening Turkey's independence. To serve this vision, the project launched with ASFAT aims to replace the old military ships of the Turkish Navy with advanced ships equipped with local, national designs that are in line with the instructions of the Naval Forces Command.

With the entry of the ADA-class frigates into the naval units, the project began to reap the first fruits of its goals in a short time. Avast, which increases its speed and production capacity with each new product, develops its ships by taking into account the suggestions and requests of users, and the company’s production is no longer limited to designing ships and producing platforms only. Rather, production has become completely local in the defense and attack mechanisms placed on top of vehicles.

The needs of military equipment, including defense systems that protect the ship from sea, land and air threats, and fire-launching units, were met in partnership with several companies, such as ASELSAN, Makine Kimya Endüstrisi, ROKETSAN, and STM. The Milgum project - whose investments exceed $1.2 billion - breaks the record for exports in the platform category. Turkish Navy Defense Industries.

Milgum patrol ship

Turkey's Blue Homeland doctrine indicates that the seas are linked to the land, and naval outposts have the same value as those on land, and this principle emphasizes the necessity of coastal states protecting the seas like lands.

The maritime patrol ship operates as a complete land base in the water. It is a high-level warship that has great defense mechanisms, such as protection against land, air and sea threats, whether from the surface or depth, in addition to its offensive capabilities.

In addition to the ability of ADK ships to detect, track and repel potential attacks, they provide protection for ships used in exploration and similar activities within Turkey's maritime borders.

In addition, the aforementioned ship, which contains a 76 mm cannon launcher produced by Makine ve Kimya Endüstrisi, has characteristics superior to its counterparts in its class, as the ship is able to continuously move at sea for 21 days without the need for provisioning and resupply.

On the other hand, the ship, which is described as a sea fortress, can accommodate 104 workers, and contains massive defense systems such as the Gökdeniz system produced by Aselsan, and the Atmaca and Hisar systems produced by Roketsan.

The ship, which has the ability to carry out operational maritime activities, is 99.56 meters long, 14.42 meters wide, and its speed reached 24 knots, or about 44 kilometers per hour.

Unique services that attracted attention

In the past, Turkey was subjected to a ban on the import of many Western military products to Turkey, for unfounded reasons. Therefore, Turkey understood the extent of the negative impact of setting terms of use for its products with restrictive contracts and understandings for the user. Therefore, the Milgham project is not just a process of selling a product and it ends. In the after-sales and use phase, such as maintenance and providing the necessary spare parts, Turkey also tried to reduce external dependence.

Turkey met this need through an integrated logistics infrastructure center and the provision of well-trained employees in the maintenance process, which varies from one piece to another.

This initiative aims to eliminate keeping thousands of ships with cargo at anchor for several months for illogical reasons, such as their need for simple spare parts. It also works to increase the usability of the product by providing the necessary training to the employees of ship users and buyers, to ensure a smooth transition to the receiving country and without confrontation. Odds are there after purchase.

Turkey has followed these steps in all milgum projects exported to Pakistan, providing unique services in the world, which has drawn attention to the products of the Turkish maritime defense industry in many Middle Eastern countries, and countries such as Saudi Arabia, Libya and Qatar have become closely interested in these products.

Pakistani Foreign Minister to Al-Quds Al-Arabi: I do not see an Arab decline in support of the Palestinian cause

New York : Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jalil Abbas Gilani, held a press conference at the United Nations headquarters after addressing the Prime Minister-designate, Anwarul Haq Kakar, at the General Assembly at its seventy-eighth session. In his opening remarks, the Minister detailed the activities and communications undertaken by the Pakistani delegation to the session and its participation in the Sustainable Development Goals Summit and the Climate Ambition Summit.

Gilani: Through the meetings, we did not come away with the impression that Palestine had been abandoned, but rather what became clear to us is that this support for the Palestinian cause is ongoing and ongoing.

Minister Gilani said that he did not notice a decline in Arab support for the Palestinian causeHe participated in the liaison committee concerned with the Palestinian issue emanating from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Pakistani minister granted the first question to “Al-Quds Al-Arabi”, which expressed the danger of a decline in Pakistani support for the Kashmiri people, just as the Arabs retreated from supporting the Palestinian people, and whether Pakistan would normalize its relations with Israel like some Arab countries, before the Palestinian people achieve independence and the establishment of a state. Independent, interconnected, sovereign, Minister Gilani said: “These are important questions, but to be fair, and through our meetings in the past four or five days, especially the Ministerial Meeting on Palestine of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that was held two days ago, we did not come away with the impression that Palestine has been abandoned.” It has not been reported by any of the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Rather, what has become clear to us is that this support for the Palestinian cause is ongoing and ongoing, as well as support for the people in Jammu and Kashmir based on the relevant United Nations resolutions. This is the impression we came away with, whether in multilateral or bilateral meetings, or in the meeting of the contact committees on Palestine and Kashmir. “There is solid support for both issues.”

The Pakistani Foreign Minister continued, stressing that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is the basis of the dispute between India and Pakistan. “Because of this issue, there is tension, conflict and wars between our two countries. Because of this issue and what India did after August 5 in denying the right of the people to Jammu and Kashmir and increasing arbitrary measures, including an attempt to change the demographic composition in the region, this raises great concern for us in Pakistan, as well as in the region itself. We would like peace to prevail between us and India, but on the basis of implementing the United Nations resolutions related to the Jammu and Kashmir region.”

The minister avoided talking about the possibility of normalization with Israel, as stated in the second part of the “Al-Quds Al-Arabi” question.

A number of journalists, including Pakistanis, noted that the minister avoided talking about the possibility of normalization with Israel, as stated in the second part of the “Arab Al-Quds” question.

The minister said that the United Nations and the international community do not support India's position on the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, and the United Nations map does not show that this territory is part of India, even if India claims so.

Regarding the crisis with Canada after the Indian intelligence was accused of killing a Sikh leader, the minister said: “India has been carrying out such assassinations in our region and neighboring countries, and we have been victims of this method and many Southeast Asian countries, but now it has expanded its activities and is carrying them out on a global level.” the world. The mask has fallen off India's face, and this crime exposes the true Indian role.

Regarding reforming the Security Council and expanding its membership, Minister Gilani said that the debate over expanding the Security Council has been ongoing for three decades, and no consensus has been reached on the issue. “The crime committed by India in Canada may move India further away from achieving its ambition for a permanent seat on the Security Council. But our principled position on expansion is to ensure consensus on expansion as a basic condition, which is not available. Most members of the General Assembly are convinced of the necessity of not adding new permanent members from elite countries only, and this is Pakistan’s position. The most that can be agreed upon is adding a number of non-permanent members to the Council’s membership and perhaps for a longer period of time (than two years) based on certain criteria that are agreed upon.”

Regarding Afghanistan, the minister stressed that his country does not interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan because it is an independent, sovereign country. “But we have expectations from the Afghan government, such that no harm will come to us, and there is a fruitful dialogue between us and them. Afghanistan is committed to rejecting its territory being turned into a launching point, training or gathering point for terrorist groups, which was recently confirmed in a tripartite meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan.”